The Cowboy State is home to some of the most stunning mountain ranges in the continental United States, two of the most widely visiting national parks (Yellowstone and Grand Teton), and public school districts boasting some of the nation’s highest testing students: Wyoming ranks 11th in the nation in both NAEP reading and math scores according to U.S. News & World Report.

Wyoming’s best school district is Sheridan County School District #2, comprising six elementary schools, one junior high, one high school, and two alternative schools serving Sheridan, WY. The district’s students perform excellently in academics, leading the state among large districts in both reading and math.

Ranking #2 in Wyoming is Sublette County School District #1, a small system of four schools serving several communities in its namesake county. As proof of the district’s high level of achievement, Pinedale High School was awarded a bronze medal by U.S. News & World Report, signifying its status as one of the nation’s best public high schools.

Uinta County School District #6 ranks third among Wyoming’s school districts. According to Niche.com, the district boasts an impressive graduation rate of 85%.

At #4 is Niobrara County School District #1, comprising four schools serving the totality of Niobrara County and part of Goshen County, followed by Lincoln County School District #2 (#5), whose schools are all accredited by AdvancED and the State of Wyoming.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?

Nebraska, the vast, agriculturally-rich Great Plains state dividing the eastern and western parts of the country, is a quiet heavyweight in public education: the Cornhusker State ranks fifth nationwide in high school graduation rate, according to the latest survey by U.S. News & World Report.

The best public school district in Nebraska is Bennington Public Schools, serving the small town of Bennington, NE. Comprising three elementaries, a middle school, and a high school, the district exceeds statewide standards in nearly every measure.

Elkhorn Public Schools, based in the western part of the Omaha metro area, ranks #2 in the state. On account of its reputation as excellent school system with a high graduation rate, enrollment in EPS schools has grown by more than 6% with each year.

Placing third is Norris School District #160, whose four schools serve the communities of Lancaster County, NE. The district is small and rural-based, but is growing steadily with an eye towards the future: Norris was recently one of the first few hundred schools around the globe to be a Google Reference District.

At #4 is Stapleton Public Schools, another modestly-sized district with a hardworking, high achieving student body. U.S. News and World Report recently bestowed Stapleton High School with a bronze medal due to students’ high proficiency in math and English.

Rounding out the top five is Millard Public Schools, headquartered in southwest Omaha, NE. Much larger than the districts before it in the ranking, Millard’s standard of excellence has been recognized for a long time running; 13 of its schools have been honored with the Blue Ribbon Award.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?

The Garden State belongs in the upper echelon of American states when it comes to public education; according to U.S. News & World Report, New Jersey is #3 in the nation in Pre-K-12 education, and #2 in high school graduation rate.

New Jersey’s best school system is West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, comprising ten schools serving students hailing from West Windsor and Plainsboro Townships. A number of its schools have received the highest honor any public school can receive, the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon award, including West WIndsor-Plainsboro High School North in 2006.

Tenafly Public Schools, serving Tenafly, NJ, ranks second in the state. The district’s six schools consistently exceed state and nationwide standards of achievement, and Tenafly High School was recognized as a gold medal school by U.S. News & World Report, an honor bestowed to the best public high schools in the nation.

Third in the ranking is Bernards Township School District. Several of the district’s schools have been recognized by Newsweek and other nationwide publications for their excellence. In addition, Liberty Corner School earned a Blue Ribbon award in 2015. 

Millburn Township Public Schools (#4) is another system making good on New Jersey’s reputation for excellent public schooling, with numerous honors under its belt.

Closing out New Jersey’s top five is Princeton Public Schools, a district of six schools serving youngsters from Princeton, NJ. In 2017, PPS’s Littlebrook Elementary became another New Jersey school to earn Blue Ribbon recognition.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?

Oklahoma’s unique history of settlement by many different European peoples, along with its strong Native American presence and cultural influence, has resulted in a heterogenous student body enrolled in the state’s public schools.

Deer Creek Public Schools is Oklahoma’s #1 public school district. The system of eight schools serving parts of Oklahoma and Logan Counties has earned numerous National Blue RIbbon Awards over the years, with Blue Creek Middle School most recently taking the honor in 2017.

Oklahoma’s #2 school district is Central High Public Schools, comprising three schools in Marlow, OK. Central High’s elementary school took home National Blue Ribbon honors in 2013.

Edmond Public Schools, a large district of 27 schools located in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond, ranks third. The terrific school system has earned more Blue Ribbon honors than any school in the state--with ten--in addition to being recognized for its excellence by such publications as The Washington Post and Newsweek.

Fourth in the ranking is Bixby Public Schools, based in the Tulsa-area suburb that lends it its name. The seven-school district achieved a whopping graduation rate of 99.2% in 2016.

Rounding out Oklahoma’s five best school districts is Arapaho-Butler Public School District, comprising two excellent schools in Arapaho, OK. The district’s academic excellence is indicated in its high school’s rating of “A-” in the 2015-2016 state report card.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?

The Buckeye State is the 7th most populous in the nation, and its many cities each possess a distinct character and their share of high performing public school districts focused on preparing students for entry into one of Ohio’s 80 plus institutions of higher learning.

Ohio’s #1 school district is Indian Hill Exempted Village School District, a system of four schools serving Cincinnati suburb Indian Hill, OH. All of Indian Hill’s schools far surpass statewide academic standards, with each earning a rating of “Excellent” through the Ohio Department of Education. Additionally, Indian Hill High School placed in Newsweek’s ranking of the nation’s top 100 high schools for six straight years.

Another Cincinnati area district, Wyoming City Schools, ranks #2. The district is comprised of three primary schools, one middle school, and one high school. As a measure of the district’s academic excellence, 15 of Wyoming High School’s Class of 2018 were recognized by either the National Merit Scholarship Corporation or College Board for their scholarship.

#3 Beachwood City Schools, based in the Cleveland suburb of Beachwood, OH, has achieved a slew of impressive accomplishments over the years, including three National Blue Ribbon Awards, and a rating of “Excellent” from the state’s Department of Education.

Placing fourth is Solon City School District, a system of seven schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan Area. In 2013, Solon High School became the only Ohio high school to receive the Red Quill Legacy Award from the ACT organization, recognizing the school’s history of excellent ACT scores.

The high achieving Mason City Schools of Mason, OH, home to 2016 Blue Ribbon School Award winner WIlliam Mason High School, completes the top five.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?

The Tarheel state lays claim to some of the best public school systems in the southeastern region of the United States; North Carolina schools rank 11th in the nation in college readiness according to U.S. News & World Report.

The best school district in North Carolina is Chapel-Hill-Carrboro City Schools, comprising 19 schools serving over 12,000 students in the southeastern part of Orange County, NC. Two of the districts high schools have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek’s rankings of the best high schools in the nation.

Another large district of schools, Union City Public Schools of Union County, NC, ranks #2. UCPS’s accomplishments are vast; the district is home to three National Blue Ribbon award winning schools and boasts a graduation rate of 92.5 percent.

North Carolina’s largest school district, the Wake County Public School System, places third in the ranking. WCPSS administers 171 schools with over 160,000 students as of 2018.

Fourth on the list is Polk County Schools, a comparatively smaller district of seven schools located in rural Western North Carolina. Students enrolled in the districts schools have achieved an excellent graduation rate of 89%.

Asheville City Schools, a district of eleven schools serving the college town/outdoor recreation mecca of Asheville, NC, closes out the list of North Carolina’s top five public school districts.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?

There’s more to New York than its largest city, yet the Big Apple is home to a lion’s share of the state’s public school students as the City School District of New York, with its 1.1 million plus students enrolled in over 1,800 schools, is the largest school system in the United States. However, the state’s best school districts are in service to smaller communities.

New York’s top school system is Manhasset Union Free School District, administering two kindergarten through 6th grade schools and one 7th through 12th grade school located in Manhasset on the North Shore of Long Island. According to U.S. News & World Report, the district boasts a whopping 98% graduation rate and students have achieved an English proficiency of 99%.

Rye City School District, comprising five schools in affluent Westchester County, ranks second on the list. Three of the elite district’s schools have earned National Blue Ribbon award honors, and the system has been ranked among the nation’s best by Newsweek, and other national publications.

Another Westchester County district, Byram Hills Central School District of Armonk, NY, ranks #3. 97% of Byram Hills students go on to college after graduating, according to the 2017-2018 profile.

We return to Nassau County, Long Island for #4 in the ranking, Jericho Union Free School District, a high achieving system of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.

Closing out the top five is yet another Westchester County district, Irvington Union Free School District. Both Irvington Middle School and Irvington High School have been recognized in the past as schools of excellence.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?